Free Pick Me by Kristine Mason Page A

was plain old coincidence.
    Whatever the case, he planned to take advantage of the situation, but with the show scheduling their time together, he wasn’t exactly sure how. Running both hands through his hair, Colt leaned back and eyed his brother. “Seeing as how you seem to have every woman in the county, between the ages of twenty and forty, sniffing at your boots, why don’t you talk me through Dating 101.”
    “Like I’m an expert,” Ruger muttered, hardening his jaw before raising the bottle to his lips.
    “You not telling me something?”
    Ruger sent him a rueful smile. “What, Barrett didn’t fill you in on what happened down at Bronco’s last week?”
    “No, and I don’t know why you two go to that shitty honky tonk. Nothing but trouble happens there.”
    “Tell me about it, only the kinda trouble I got myself into had nothing to do with a beer brawl, but a sexy blonde, who decided it’d be more fun to dump her fancy drink on my head, than dance with me.” 
    Colt laughed. “Ouch, you must be losing your touch, forget I asked for any dating advice.”
    “You might be right. Go pick up a bunch of those chick magazines. Maybe they can give you some insight on what a woman wants.”
    Colt winced. “I’m not about to go there. I’ll just wing it. Valentina doesn’t seem to be too interested in dating for real anyway. She’s leaving after the show ends and heading back to Chicago.”
    “How’s that sitting with you?”
    “Not good. I just don’t get her. She moves here, gets a nice place, but the moment her job falls through, she’s ready to up and leave.”
    “What’s she do?”
    “School teacher.”
    “Well, hell, I heard old Mrs. Bailey decided to retire. They need a first grade teacher over at the elementary school.”
    “Really? Huh.” Colt rubbed his chin with the back of his hand.
    “I gotta run, Barrett should be done with the books by now, I can’t stand being around him when he’s got the calculator running.”
    “Be glad he has a head for numbers.”
    “I just wish he wasn’t holding the purse strings so damn tight. I’ve got some ideas that will bring us into the twenty-first century, but Barrett’s too chicken to take a chance.”
    After their dad died, rather than divvy up the lucrative ranch their parents had built, Ruger and Barrett took over. Win was already a Texas Ranger and had no interest in ranching. Colt had no interest either, and had his clientele to worry about. While Remi loved ranch life, she was busy earning her degree in Veterinary Medicine. So he and his siblings took small portions of the sprawling acres to settle on and build their own homes, and looked at the ranch Ruger and Barrett ran as not just an inheritance, but as an investment. One that was proving to be quite profitable.
    Colt clapped him on the back as he walked him to the door. “He’ll come around. Don’t get bent out of shape. You two have practically doubled the ranch’s worth since dad died. He’d be proud. I know I am.”
    “Aw, shucks.” Ruger grinned and knocked him in the shoulder. God forbid they show any brotherly love. “Let me know how things are going with the show. By the way, what are the other bachelors like?”
    The rocker and the blockhead came to mind. He shrugged. “Okay, I suppose. Why?”
    “So Valentina said she’d be exclusive to you, which I’m assuming means you two are having sex.”
    “Damn it, Ruger, I never said anything—”
    Sending him a lopsided grin, Ruger shook his head. “I can always tell when you’re gettin’ some, so don’t deny it. Hell, I’m jealous. Anyhow, I don’t think I’d like the idea of my woman dating two other guys, even if she might be looking at it as a job.”
    Now that he thought about it, Colt didn’t like that much, either. “She’s supposed to go out with one of them tomorrow.”
    “Find a way to change her mind.”
    “I can’t, she’s obligated because of the show. And Pick Me has a strict rule, I’m